Two female magazine journalists named in top 100 'most influential' black Britons

Two female magazine editors were among those featured on today's Powerlist - the annual publication which identifies the UK's 100 most influential black people.

The idea of the list is to 'push aside stereotypes, celebrate success and offer a more balanced view of a community that gets little positive press', according to the list's website.

The highest ranking journalists on the women's list were Michelle Ogundehin, editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration (number three on the list) and Abigail Blackburn, editor of Now magazine (number ten, pictured).

The Powerlist's editor, Justin Onyeka, told Journalism.co.uk that it is "nothing new that there’s
been a paucity of black representation at the top of journalism".

"I
still hear stories of battles to change attitudes," he added. "But it’s also great
to have two women editors of two major magazines in the Top 10 of our
list."

One of the highest ranking media professionals on the men's list was former news producer, and now chairman of the Commission for Equality & Human Rights (CEHR), Trevor Phillips, at number five.

Other people working in the media included on the list were: Sonita Alleyne, who owns radio production company Somethin’ Else; Trisha Goddard, TV presenter/producer; Tamara Howe, head of operations at BBC Children’s; Robert Beckford, educator, author and award-winning broadcaster; and Garth Crooks, broadcaster and sports business consultant.

The marketing director of advertising agency MediaCom, Karen Blackett, was also named on the list. Last week MediaCom won the PPA's Agency of the Year award in the annual PPA Marketing Awards.

To qualify, a nominee had to be of African, Caribbean or African-American heritage, either based in Britain, or a British citizen based anywhere in the world. The judging panel, chaired by Baroness Amos, drew up the list from 500 nominees over a six-month period.

The list, which forms part of a 128 page glossy magazine out on Wednesday, was edited by journalist Justin Onyeka, formerly deputy editor at New Nation. Its founder and CEO is Michael Eboda, also a journalist and former editor of New Nation.

Onyeka said in a release, "This is more than just a list. It is a celebration of African Caribbean achievement, of great success stories of individuals often from humble backgrounds who are now inspirational figures for young, future leaders. You cannot underline this significance enough."

No individuals named on the list came from online-specific media companies - a surprising feature given that the focus of the recent Guardian Ethnic Media Summit was on the many online opportunities for media professionals from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds.

Onyeka told Journalism.co.uk that "online certainly does provide BME journalists with more expansive, exciting avenues to further their careers and get their voices heard."

He added that the challenge is "to fully exploit the whole new media sphere, make a significant mark and, who knows, become a major influential figure in the process."